In this one-on-one interview, SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne talks to rising actor, Alexis Chikaeze, about her Nigerian roots, how she got into acting, and her breakout role as Amina on CW’s All American, and more. This interview has been edited for clarity. Kevin Bourne: Now you’re from Texas—Dallas, Texas. Nigerian background. What did that instill in you, growing up in a Nigerian home? Alexis Chikaeze: I think it was simply the push to work hard; the push to follow your dreams, follow your passions; the push to never give up in the face of adversity, and to simply cherish this life…
Author: Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne, also known as "KB The Boss" or simply "KB", is a Toronto-based host/on-air personality, arts & entertainment journalist, TV/film producer, and communications and content strategist. As a commentator and freelancer, he has appeared nationally as a correspondent on CBC News Network and host on CBC Music. He has also appeared locally on CTV, CBC Radio, CityNews, Newstalk 1010, and ByBlacks.com, and in the United States on Fox’s Black digital TV network, Fox Soul. He has covered some of Canada’s top red-carpet events, from the Toronto International Film Festival to the Canadian Screen Awards, and has interviewed everyone from Kevin Hart and "Fast and the Furious" star Tyrese Gibson to Ziggy Marley, Ava DuVernay, Dascha Polanco, Lilly Singh, and Howie Mandel. His years of work as an entertainment journalist led to him being named a Golden Globe® Awards voter and Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-Approved critic and being quoted as a critic in national ad campaigns for Black films and TV shows, both in Canada and the United States. Pivoting into the world of film and television, Kevin co-founded the film, TV, digital content, and live experiences company, SHIFTER Entertainment, alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah. Through SHIFTER he has produced a number of projects, including the Bell Fibe TV1 unscripted reality series A Date In The Life, serving as showrunner, executive producer, writer and co-director. Now, with a number of pilot and feature film scripts written and projects in development, KB is poised to continue to be a champion for Black entertainment and culture alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah.
Two OG cast member return and Jordan’s investigation hits a bump in the road. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 6 recap. This episode is a bit nostalgic with the return of two OG cast members. You probably know who they are by now, but in case you haven’t heard, we won’t ruin it for you just yet. We also see the storylines from the OG series repeating themselves in this episode. Now, let’s take a closer look at what went down on All American Season 7 Episode 6. Jordan’s investigation Jordayla has returned from Napa after looking into…
In his Peterson album review, Kevin Bourne says Tory Lanez’s latest project is among his best and most personal, albums yet. When Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison, we were forced to think about what a decade without his music would be like. He was in the middle of enjoying his newfound independence as an artist. He was exploring new ways selling music. With Lanez behind bars, it was a big “What if?” If he hadn’t gone to prison, what heights would he have reached in the industry? What boundaries and new ground would he have broken…
Love triangles abound and Amina runs for student council president. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 5 recap. This episode centers around Amina as she runs for student council and organizes a meal packing drive, all while dreading the anniversary of her mother’s birthday. With Jordan and Layla in Napa as a part of their investigation into his long lost uncle, this episode was almost all teen drama, and it was well done. We also see Amina and Toru meet for the first time as the love triangle drama is taken to new heights. Now, let’s take a closer…
KJ and Khalil come into their own, exercising their independence from their fathers, while Layla learns to forgive and forget. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 4 recap. This episode sees KJ and Khalil coming into their own, making their own decisions, and exercising their independence from their fathers. We also see KJ and Khalil, Jordan and Spencer 2.0, becoming key members of their respective teams. Now, let’s take a closer look at what went down on All American Season 7 Episode 4. KJ and Cassius clash The episode opens with KJ watching old game film of Jordan playing…
The Union Station art exhibition “A Transit Through Time” puts the work of seven talented Black Toronto artists on full display. In time for Black History Month, Union Arts has returned with two brand new art shows located at the Oak Room and West Wing at Union Station, the busiest transportation hub in Canada with 300,000 visitors daily. This is the third exhibition of its kind, which offers unparalleled exposure for the artists involved. The exhibition launched on February 12th with Nothing More Nothing Less, a solo exhibition by guest artist Jordan Sook. Then in the West Wing we find A Transit Through Time,…
Live Nation and Drake are set to open the 2000-person HISTORY Ottawa nightclub in 2026, filling a need in Ottawa’s nightlife scene. Long seen as a sleepy government town and the city that fun forgot, Ottawa just got a little jolt courtesy of the 6 God and Live Nation. Today, the multinational entertainment powerhouse announced that they will be opening the Drake-backed 2000-person capacity HISTORY Ottawa nightclub in the city’s Byward Market. It marks the first expansion for the History after the opening of History Toronto in 2021. Live Nation first announced they would be taking over the former Chapters…
Coop babysits Amina, Beverly and Crenshaw take the field, and Jordan finds a new family member? Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 3 recap. If social media engagement is any indication, many All American fans are choosing to not continue watching the show after the departure of The Vortex, but the show is actually pretty good. The storylines are pretty strong and the young cast members are delivering solid performances, especially Alexis Chikaeze as Amina Simms, Nathaniel Logan McIntyre as Kingston “KJ” Jeremy, and Antonio J. Bell as Khalil Edwards. It would be nice if we got more screen…
In his $ome $exy $ongs 4 U album review, SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne says the Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR is a reminder of what OVO does best. It seemed like just the other day that Drake took to the stage at HISTORY, the Toronto venue he opened with Live Nation, to announce a joint project with with fellow OVO Sound and Greater Toronto Area artist, PARTYNEXTDOOR. Well, that day has finally come just in time for Valentine’s Day. The project, titled $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, with its cover art paying homage to Party’s home city of Mississauga, is Drake’s first album…
Liv returns, Layla might be pregnant, and Coop begins law school. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 2 recap. This is the moment All American fans have been waiting for—the return of Samantha Logan, aka Liv Baker. Seeing her on screen and back with Layla and Coop, she’s really missed. This episode has some twists and turns, the return of Preach, and some unexpected Spelivia news so if don’t want to know, don’t read on. So let’s jump right in to our All American Season 7 Episode 2 recap. KJ and Cassius’ first day KJ is up and ready…
All American returns with a brand new season and a brand new generation. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 1 (premiere) recap. CW’s All American has finally returned with a brand new season and brand new cast members, but with Daniel Ezra and Samantha Logan gone as full-time cast members, we still don’t know whether fans of the show will return. The season seven premiere is all about introducing new cast members and storylines. After being so invested in the old storylines, it feels weird to have to get to know almost a whole new cast all over again.…
There are a lot of fun and binge-worthy Black shows and films on Netflix. Here are 12 Black shows and films coming to Netflix in 2025. Netflix recently announced their 2025 at their Next On Netflix event hosted in Los Angeles and simulcasted all over the world. SHIFTER was at the event in Toronto where we not only learned more about what’s coming to Netflix this year, but new projects by Netflix Canada. Here’s a look at some of the Black films and TV shows coming to Netflix in 2025. American Manhunt: OJ Simpson Netflix is back in 2025, giving…
